Toy figure with articulating joints

ABSTRACT

A toy figure having multiple articulating limbs connected to the torso by pivot joints that are molded in a vertical injection molding step that forms and pivotally interconnects, in situ, one member of the pivot joint to a second, pre-formed member of the pivot joint.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/088,385,filed on Jun. 1, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,950.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to jointed toy figures and morespecifically relates to toy figures with an unusually large number ofunique articulating parts which give the figures a particularlyrealistic look and feel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toy figures with articulating limbs are generally known. Toy figureshaving a large number of articulating limbs are not widely availablebecause of expenses associated with manufacturing and assembling thecompleted toy figure. Additionally, as the toy figures decrease in sizebelow about 10-12 inches in overall length, the costs of manufacture andassembly increase considerably because of difficulty in constructing andattaching small limbs with multiple movable joints. A further problem inproviding relatively small toy figures with multiple articulating partsconcerns producing small joints that are durable and have the closetolerances necessary to provide sufficient friction between the moveablesurfaces of the joints necessary for proper operation of the joints.Also, it has long been a goal to combine realistically articulatinglimbs with adjacent body parts in a manner which minimizes anyundesirable gaps so that the outer surface of the articulating figurehas a relatively continuous, life-like appearance.

It would therefore be very desirable to provide a toy figure withmultiple articulating limbs having improved joint construction withincreased durability for manipulation through a variety of realisticposes. It would also be desirable to provide methods which reduce theamount of time and labor needed for assembling toy figures of varioussizes, including small sizes, having articulating limbs. It would alsobe very desirable to provide toy figures, especially toy figures with anoverall length less than about 10 inches, that provide improved jointoperation. Furthermore, it would be very desirable to enable themanufacture of toy figures with realistic articulating limb and torsoparts having outer surfaces free of screws or other visible fastenersand having reduced gaps between the connected parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides toy figures having articulating limbswith a large number of joints. The toy figures of the present inventioninclude one or more pivotally connected parts having a first jointmember made of a first material, preferably a first thermoplasticmaterial, and a second joint member made of a second thermoplastic whichhas a melting point that is less than that of the first material. Thefirst and second joint members are advantageously pivotally connected toone another in an in situ injection molding method of the invention.Thus, in another of its aspects, the present invention includes a methodof connecting a first joint member and a second joint member in an insitu injection molding process, wherein the first joint member is formedof a first material and the second joint member is formed of a secondmaterial which is a thermoplastic material, wherein the first jointmember is inserted in a predetermined position into an injection mold,as an insert part, and the second thermoplastic composition is injectedto form the second joint member around the first joint member, pivotallyconnecting the two. In a presently preferred embodiment, the firstthermoplastic composition is an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)and the second thermoplastic composition is a polyvinylchloride (PVC)composition having a melting point of about 160° C. and the differencein melting points is at least about 70° C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, partially in cross-section, depictinga toy FIG. having features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toy figure of FIG. 1illustrating the head, torso and left limbs of the toy figure, it beingunderstood that the right limbs are corresponding mirror-images of theleft limbs;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the component parts of the toyfigure of FIG. 1 which comprise a left arm subassembly extending fromthe shoulder to the elbow just prior to assembly and ultrasonic weldingin an ultrasonic welding device as depicted in this FIG.;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the upper torso, head/headjoint, left and right arm assemblies and the body joint of the toyfigure of FIG. 1 prior to assembly and ultrasonic welding;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the upper torso produced in the assemblystep depicted in FIG. 4, the lower torso, and left and right legassemblies prior to assembly and ultrasonic welding to complete the toyfigure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first joint member used as an insertpart in the in situ injection molding process, wherein the insert partis pivotally connected to a second joint member to form the pivotingleft shoulder of the toy figure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the insert part of FIG. 8 in conjunctionwith the second joint member, including a pivot pin, as formed in aninjection mold, with part of the mold cut away for purposes ofillustration;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pivotally connected first and secondjoint members made by injection molding, as in FIG. 7, showing inphantom lines the position and connection of the insert part (firstjoint member) depicted in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an insert part which provides the ballmember of a ball and socket joint of the invention which corresponds tothe body joint of the toy figure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the insert part of FIG. 9 in conjunctionwith a socket member, as formed in an injection mold, with part of themold cut away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the ball and socket joint made byinjection molding, as in FIG. 10, showing in phantom lines the positionand connection of the insert part (first joint member) depicted in FIG.9 to the body of the socket member (second joint member) of the ball andsocket joint;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an insert part used in the hand/wristof the toy figure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the finger members and pivotpin used (in combination with the insert part of FIG. 12) to form a lefthand according to a method of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the finger members of a left hand of afigure of the present invention with the finger members pivotallymounted on a pivot pin prior to the injection molding step to completethe left hand;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a left hand of the toy figure of theFIG. 1 made by a molding method of the present invention; and

FIG. 16 is an elevation view of the insert parts of FIGS. 12 and 14 inconjunction with a left hand of the toy figure of the present invention,as formed in an injection mold, with part of the mold cut away forpurposes of illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made to FIG. 1 of the drawings which depicts a toy figuredesignated by reference numeral 10. Toy FIG. 10 includes a torso 12 andlimbs including a left arm 14, a right arm 16, a left leg 18, and aright leg 20, as well as a head 22.

Left arm 14 and right arm 16, which are shown in different orientationsin FIG. 1, comprise a plurality of arm segments designated by numerals24, 42, 58, 66, 80 and 102. These arm segments are interconnected atjoints 14 a, b, c, d, e and f and 16 a, b, c, d, e and f, respectively,to provide articulating left and right arms 14 and 16. Since the twoarms 14 and 16 and the two legs 18 and 20, as well as the componentparts thereof, are mirror-images of each other, we will describe thedetails of left arm and left leg 14 and 18, it being understood that thecorresponding right arm and right leg 16 and 20 are comprised andassembled identically.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, first arm segment 24 has a generallyspherical top portion 26 with a short trunk 26 a depending therefrom andintegrally formed therewith to give the appearance of a left shoulderand approximately the upper ⅓ of the upper arm. Spherical body 26 has anarcuate opening 27 into the interior of first arm segment 24. A jointmember 25 having a lever arm 28 is pivotally attached to first armsegment 24 at joint 14 a. Lever arm 28 terminates at one end in a disk30 and at the other end in a ring 31 Ring 31 has a bore for mountingjoint member 25. Ring 31 of lever arm 28 extends through arcuate opening27 and is pivotally mounted on pivot pin 33 formed in the first armsegment as described below.

This mounting of joint member 25 inside trunk 12 permits first armsegment 24 to pivot at joint 14 a through an arc A of approximately 90°.Thus, when first arm segment 24 is mounted to trunk 12, as describedmore fully below, arm segment 24 is capable of pivoting within the armhole 36 of the trunk such that the gap between the outer surface of body26 of the first arm segment and the circular edge 38 of arm hole 36 issmall at all positions of first arm segment 24 along arc A.

First arm member 24 further comprises a disk 32 spaced apart from abottom surface of body 26 a by a short shaft 34, by way of which firstarm segment 24 is rotatingly connected to second arm segment 42. As bestseen in FIG. 2, second arm segment 42 has complementary second armsegment shells 42 a and 42 b which are attached by way of a cylindricalpin 50 in second arm segment shell 42 a having a bore 52 therein forreceiving assembly pin 54 extending from the inside surface of secondarm shell 42 b. When these second arm segment shells are assembled, disk32 of the first arm segment is seated in a corresponding circularinterior space 46 with shaft 34 extending through a bore in top wall 44of second arm segment 42, the bore being formed by complementarysemi-circular cut-outs 48 a and 48 b in top wall 44. With disk 32positioned in interior space 46 and resting against the interior surface44 a of top wall 44, second arm segment 42 is capable of rotating 360°about the axis of shaft 34 at joint 14 b with respect to first armsegment 24. Additionally, second arm shell 42 has an arcuate opening 56extending along the curved body surface of second arm segment 42adjacent pin 50 which permits movement at joint 14 c, as explainedbelow.

Left arm 14 further comprises a third arm segment 58 which acts as adouble pivot member comprising. Third arm segment 58 has a plate 60 withbores 62 and 64 extending transversely therethrough at the opposite endsof the plate. Third arm segment 58 is connected through bore 62 to pin50 in second arm segment 42 to provide joint 14 c, a pivot joint.

Left arm 14 further includes a fourth arm segment 66 which is pivotallyconnected to third arm segment 58 at joint 14 d. Fourth arm segment 66comprises complementary fourth arm segment shells 66 a and 66 b. Fourtharm segment shell 66 a is provided with a pivot pin 68 which passesthrough bore 64 to provide pivoting motion. Pin 68 has a bore 70 thereinto mate with complementary assembly pin 71 in fourth arm segment shell66 b. As will be appreciated from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2, fourtharm segment 66 is analogous in structure and function to second armsegment 42, albeit shorter in overall length and inverted with respectto the orientation of second arm segment 42. Thus, fourth arm segment 66has a circular interior space 72 (analogous to circular interior space46) and a bottom wall 74 defining semi-circular cut outs 74 a and 74 bdefining a bore 76 in communication with interior space 72.

Fourth arm segment 66 thus is connected to third arm segment 58 byinserting pin 68 through bore 64 of the third arm segment 58 to providejoint 14 d. Thus it will be appreciated that third arm segment 58provides a double pivot member which allows second arm segment 42 andfourth arm segment 66 to independently pivot with respect to third armsegment 58 at joints 14 c and 14 d, respectively.

When the second arm segment and fourth arm segment are pivoted towardeach other, each of the respective arm segments are capable of pivotingthrough an arc of about 90° (represented by B and C) such that thesecond and fourth arm segments may be pivoted a total of approximately180° with respect to one another with the third arm segment thusfunctioning as an elbow joint. Because the third arm segment 58 uses adouble pivot arrangement whereas a natural human elbow joint has asingle pivot point, the second and fourth arm segments are spaced apartfrom each other.

As best seen in FIG. 1, when left arm 14 is fully extended lengthwise,third arm segment 58 abuts end wall 56 a of arcuate opening 56 in thebottom of second arm segment 42 and end wall 78 a defining arcuateopening 78 of the fourth arm segment to provide a continuous outer armsurface. Third arm segment 58 is provided with wing-like extensions 80which extend outwardly and curve slightly downwardly from the outer edge83 to fill in the gaps caused by the pivotal attachment of second andfourth arm segments 42 and 66 at opposite ends of third arm segment 58,as needed to assure that articulating left arm 14 has a full range ofmotion about third arm member 58. The wing-like extensions thus allowarm 14 to exhibit a relatively continuous outer arm surface where secondand fourth arm segments 42 and 66 are joined to third arm segment 58without interfering with the pivoting arm segments.

Left arm 14 further comprises a fifth arm segment 80 which is rotatinglyconnected to fourth arm segment 66 at joint 14 e by lower arm jointmember 82. Joint member 82 comprises a disk 84 and a plate 86 spacedapart from each other by a short shaft 88. Fifth arm segment 80comprises complementary shells 80 a and 80 b having a pivot pin 90 witha bore 92 therein with complementary fifth arm segment shell 80 b havingan assembly pin 94 extending therefrom to fit within bore 92. Fifth armsegment 80 also has a circular interior space 96 and a top wall 98 witha bore 100 therethrough in communication with interior space 96. As willbe appreciated from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2, fifth arm segment 80and fourth arm segment 66 are essentially identical in structure andoperation but are of different respective dimensions. When fourth andfifth arm segments 66 and 88 are rotatingly connected at joint 14 e bylower arm joint member 82. fourth and fifth arm segments 66 and 80 aremated at their respective walls 74 and 98 with shaft 88 extendingthrough bores 76 and 100 and with disk 84 seated on the interior surfaceof wall 74 and plate 86 seated on the interior surface of wall 98. Thusfourth and fifth arm segments 66 and 80 are capable of rotating withrespect to one another 360° about shaft 88, with disk 84 rotating ininterior space 72.

Left hand 102, which is discussed in detail below, includes a ring 104with a central bore 106. Ring 104 is spaced apart from the bottom wall108 of left hand 102 by shaft 110. Left hand 102 is pivotally connectedat joint 14 f to fifth arm segment 80 by way of the mounting of ring 104on pivot pin 90, with shaft 110 extending through an arcuate opening 91in arm segment 80. Left hand 102 therefore pivots on pivot pin 90.

Left leg 18 comprises a plurality of leg segments which areinterconnected at a series of joints to provide the articulating legwhose structure and movement correspond to arm 14 described above. Thus,leg 18 comprises first, second, third, fourth and fifth leg segments124, 142, 158, 166, and 180 which are analogous to the left arm segments24, 42, 58, 66 and 80, as well as to the right arm segments 24 r, 42 r,58 r, 66 r and 80 r and right leg segments 124 r, 142 r, 158 r, 166 rand 180 r.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, first leg segment 124 has a generallyspherical top portion 126 with a short trunk 126 a depending therefromand integrally formed therewith to give the appearance of a left hip andapproximately the upper ⅓ of the upper leg. Spherical body 126 has anarcuate opening 127 into the interior of first leg segment 124. A jointmember 125 having a lever leg 128 is pivotally attached to first legsegment 124 at joint 18 a. Lever arm 128 terminates at one end in a disk130 and at the other end in a ring 131. Ring 131 has a bore for mountingjoint member 125. Ring 131 of lever leg 128 extends through arcuateopening 127 and is pivotally mounted on pivot pin 133 formed in thefirst leg segment as described below.

This mounting of joint member 125 inside trunk 12 permits first legsegment 124 to pivot at joint 18 a through an arc D of approximately90°. Thus, when first leg segment 124 is mounted to trunk 12, asdescribed more fully below, leg segment 124 is capable of pivoting withrespect to trunk 12 such that the gap between the outer surface of body126 of the first leg segment and the circular edge 138 of leg hole 136is small at all positions of first leg segment 124 along arc D.

First leg member 124 further comprises a disk 132 spaced apart from abottom surface of body 126 a by a short shaft 134, by way of which firstleg segment 124 is rotatingly connected to second leg segment 142. Asbest seen in FIG. 2, second leg segment 142 has complementary second legsegment shells 142 a and 142 b which are attached by way of acylindrical pin 150 in second leg segment shell 142 a having a bore 152therein for receiving assembly pin 154 extending from the inside surfaceof second leg shell 142 b. When these second leg segment shells areassembled, disk 132 of the first leg segment is seated in acorresponding circular interior space 146 with shaft 134 extendingthrough a bore in top wall 144 of second leg segment 142, the bore beingformed by complementary semi-circular cut-outs 148 a and 148 b in topwall 144. With disk 132 positioned in interior space 146 and restingagainst the interior surface 144 a of top wall 144, second leg segment142 is capable of rotating 360° about the axis of shaft 134 at joint 18b with respect to first leg segment 124. Additionally, second leg shell142 has an arcuate opening 156 extending along the curved body surfaceof second leg segment 142 adjacent pin 150 which permits movement atjoint 18 c, as explained below.

Left leg 18 further comprises a third leg segment 158 which acts as adouble pivot member comprising. Third leg segment 158 has a plate 160with bores 162 and 164 extending transversely therethrough at theopposite ends of the plate. Third leg segment 158 is connected throughbore 162 to pin 150 second leg segment 142 to provide joint 18 c, apivot joint.

Left leg 18 further includes a fourth leg segment 166 which is pivotallyconnected to third leg segment 158 at joint 18 d. Fourth leg segment 166comprises complementary fourth leg segment shells 166 a and 166 b.Fourth leg segment shell 166 a is provided with a pivot pin 168 whichpasses through bore 164 to provide pivoting motion. Pin 168 has a bore170 therein to mate with complementary assembly pin 171 in fourth legsegment shell 166 b. As will be appreciated from an inspection of FIGS.1 and 2, fourth leg segment 166 is analogous in structure and functionto second leg segment 142, albeit slightly shorter in overall length andinverted with respect to the orientation of second leg segment 142.Thus, fourth leg segment 166 has a circular interior space 172(analogous to circular interior space 146) and a bottom wall 174defining semi-circular cut outs 174 a and 174 b (shown with phantomlines) defining a bore 176 in communication with interior space 172.

Fourth leg segment 166 thus is connected to third leg segment 158 byinserting pin 168 through bore 164 of the third leg segment 158 toprovide joint 18d. Thus it will be appreciated that third leg segment158 provides a double pivot member which allows second leg segment 142and fourth leg segment 166 to independently pivot with respect to thirdleg segment 158 at joints 18 c and 18 d, respectively.

As best seen in FIG. 1, when left leg 18 is fully extended lengthwisethird leg segment 158 abuts end wall 156 a of arcuate opening 156 in thebottom of second leg segment 142 and end wall 178 a defining arcuateopening 178 of the fourth leg segment to provide a continuous outer legsurface.

When second leg segment and fourth leg segment are pivoted toward eachother, each of the respective leg segments are capable of pivotingthrough an arc of about 90° (analogous to arcs C and D) such that thesecond and fourth leg segments may be pivoted a total of approximately180° with respect to one another with the third leg segment thusfunctioning as an elbow joint. Because the third leg segment 158 uses adouble pivot arrangement whereas a natural human elbow joint has asingle pivot point second and fourth leg segments are spaced apart fromeach other. To fill the gap in the outer surfaces of the second andfourth leg segments 142 and 166 where they attach to third leg segment158, third leg segment 158 is provided with wing-like extensions 180which extend outwardly and curve slight downwardly from the outer edge183 of third leg member 158 to fill in the gaps between second andfourth leg segments 142 and 166 which are needed to assure thatarticulating left leg 18 has a full range of motion about third legmember 158. The wing-like extensions thus allow leg 18 to exhibit arelatively continuous outer leg surface where second and fourth legsegments 142 and 166 are joined to third leg segment 158.

Left leg 18 further comprises a fifth leg segment 181 which isrotatingly connected to fourth leg segment 166 at joint 18 e by a disk184 spaced apart from fifth leg segment 181 by a short shaft 188. Fifthleg segment 181 has a bore 190 extending therethrough at its lower. Whenfourth and fifth leg segments 166 and 188 are rotatingly connected atjoint 18 e by inserting disk 184 into interior space 172 of fourth legsegment 166, fourth and fifth leg segments 166 and 181 are mated attheir respective walls 174 and 198 with shaft 188 extending throughbores 176 and with disk 184 seated on the interior surface of wall 174.Thus fourth and fifth leg segments 166 and 181 are capable of rotatingwith respect to one another 360° about shaft 188, with disk 184 rotatingin interior space 172.

Left foot 202 includes L-shaped left foot shells 202 a and 202 b. Leftfoot shell 202 a has a pivot pin 204 having a bore 206 thereinpositioned at the upper portion of the “L” and a pivot pin 208 having abore 210 therein positioned at the terminal end of the base of the L.Foot 202 further comprises large toe member 210 and smaller toe member212, which have respective proximal ends 210 a and 212 a, and bores 210b and 212 b extending transversely therethrough. Toe members 210 and 212are pivotally mounted on pivot pin 206 and fifth leg segment 180 ismounted to pivot pin 204. Left foot shell 202 b connects to foot shell202 by mating assembly pins 214 and 216 which fit in bores 206 and 210.

With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, trunk 12 comprises an uppertorso 250 and a lower torso 252 pivotally and rotatingly connected toone another at joint 12 a. As best seen in FIG. 1, upper torso 250 has areduced lower end 256 which is defined by a gently tapering wall 258having a collar which is partially seated in upper opening 260 in lowertorso 252. Upper opening 260 thus forms a substantially circular seat tomeet with the reduced end 256 of upper torso 250 such that trunk 12 iscapable of articulating when upper torso 250 and lower 252 are connectedby body joint 254. In a particularly preferred embodiment, upper torsois capable of pivoting left to right with respect to the lower torsoover an arc of about 30° (e.g., 15° to each side) of an upright positionand is capable of pivoting front to back by approximately 30° (5° backand 25° forward) to simulate a range of motion about the waist of ahuman being. Body joint 254, which is more fully described below withreference to FIGS. 9-11, functions as a ball and socket joint.

The head 22 of toy FIG. 10 is substantially hollow and cast of athermoplastic resin such as PVC, preferably using a rotational moldingtechnique as known in the art. The base 261 of the head has an involutedhemispherical bottom wall 262 defining a cavity 263 with a bore 264therethrough at the top of the hemisphere. Head 22 is attached to uppertorso 250 by a head joint member 266 which has a generally sphericalbody with an upper portion 267 supporting a mushroom-shaped attachmentmember 270 which is sized and shaped to snap-fit through bore 264 and beretained within the interior space of head 22 with the upper surface 267of head joint 266 residing in cavity 263. Joint 266 has a secondattachment disk 269 (analogous to disk 30 of joint member 25) which ispivotally connected inside of joint member 266 via lever arm 274 in ananalogous manner to the slot 280 connecting lever arm 25 and first armsegment 24 as discussed below. When head 22 is connected to trunk 12,head 22 is capable of pivoting about a pivot joint located in head joint266 (analogous to the pivot joint in first arm segment 24) as well asrotating about disk 269. Thus, head 22 is capable of swiveling andnodding relative to torso 250.

Torso 250 includes slots 280 for the rotational attachment of left arm14, right arm 16 and head 22. Attachment of left arm 14 will now bedescribed, it being understood that right arm 16 and head 22 aresimilarly attached. See FIG. 4. Left arm 14 is connected to upper torso250 at arm hole 36 by seating disk 30 within a mounting structurecomprising a slot 280 defined by vertical upstanding, parallel spacedwalls 282 and 284. Wall 284 has a semi-circular cut-out 286 along itsexposed edge and the opposite wall 282 has a horizontal upstanding ridge288 formed on its inner surface 290. Disk 30 of first arm member 24 isprovided with a groove 37 which is complementary to ridge 288 and actsas a detent when a disk 30 is rotated within slot 280. Torso shell 250 ais provided with a complementary mounting structure (not shown). Thus,when complementary upper torso shells 250 a and 250 b are matededgewise, the open ends of the complementary mounting structuresincluding particularly their respective upstanding walls abut to form aretention seat for disk 30 of first arm segment 24 with shaft 28 of armjoint 24 extending through the abutting semi-circular cut-outs 286 inthe abutting wall such that left arm member 24 and thus left arm 14 isrotatingly attached to upper torso 250. A disk attached to a shaftmember (e.g., disk 30 attached to shaft 28) and a retention seat (e.g.,slot 280 with wall 284 having a bore therethough to rotatingly seat disk30) are an example of complementary joint members or attachment meanswhich comprise a rotational joint which may be used to connect adjacentbody parts of toy FIG. 10.

Upper torso 250 and lower torso 252 are connected at joint 12 a by abody joint member 254 having a rectilinear portion 300 with a pair oflaterally-extending rails 302 extending from the side walls 304 of body300. Body joint member 254 further comprises a ball-member 306,rotatingly and pivotally mounted in body 300 and having a shaft 308depending therefrom and connected to a plate 310.

Portion 300 of body joint member is seated within torso 250 using amounting structure 281 that is different than previously described forseating disk 30 of first arm segment 24 in slot 280. Thus, mountingstructure 281 has a bottom wall 312 having a semi-circular cut-out 314.Bottom wall 312 is connected to a pair of upstanding parallel spacedside walls 316, which side walls have complementary rectangular cut-outs318. Body 300 of body joint 254 is seated on bottom wall 312 withnotches 318 engaging rails 302 of the body joint and shaft 308 extendingthrough cut-out 314 and through the opening at the bottom of upper torso250.

Lower torso 252 has yet another type of mounting structure, designatedby reference numeral 283, which includes an upper plate 320 having asemi-circular cut-out 322 at its edge. Top plate 320 has a pair ofparallel reinforcing side walls 324 to add structural support to topwall 320. Complementary top plate and reinforcing side plates are formedon lower torso shell 252 a which complementary walls abut when theshells 252 a and 252 b of lower torso 252 are mated edgewise to captureplate 310 beneath top wall 320. As will be appreciated, the length ofshaft 308 is predetermined so that when body 300 is seated on bottomwall 312 and plate 310 is seated beneath top wall 320, the reduced end256 of upper torso is pivotably and rotatably seated in substantiallycircular opening 260 of lower torso 252.

Turning to FIG. 3, assembly of action FIG. 10 proceeds with step-wiseconnection of the components of the limbs and torso of action FIG. 10using an ultrasonic welding apparatus. The ultrasonic welding apparatuscomprises base 350 and an ultrasonic horn 352 that resonates at asufficiently high frequency, for example 20 kHz-40 kHz, with poweroutput of from 1000 watts to about 4000 watts to heat the surfaces ofparts which are housed within the ultrasonic welding apparatus andcauses the surfaces of the plastic parts to be welded together edgewise.As known in the art, the duration of power of the ultrasonic weldingapparatus may be controlled to assure a good weld of the intendedabutting surface.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, in a presently preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the ultrasonic welding assembly is carried out in aseries of steps to join the limb segments into articulating limbsubassemblies and attach the limb subassemblies to one another to form acompleted limb, and then to connect the completed limbs to the upper andlower torsos 250 and 252 and the upper and lower torsos 250 and 252 toeach other.

As shown in FIG. 3, arm shell 42 a is inserted into ultrasonic base 350and connected to first arm segment 24 by inserting disk 32 intoreceptacle 46. Third arm segment 58 is connected to the pin 50 of armshell 42 a through the bore 62 in plate 60 and arm shell 42 b is matededgewise with complementary arm shell 42 a with assembly pin 54 beingreceived in bore 52 of pin 50. When arm shells 42 a and 42 b are mated,disk 32 (and thus first arm segment 24) is rotationally captured ininterior space 46 of second arm segment 42 and third arm segment 58 iscaptured and pivotally mounted on pivot pin 50 of second arm segment 42.Then, ultrasonic energy is applied to weld arm shells 42 a and 42 b(preferably formed of ABS) edgewise without adversely affecting theabove-described rotational and pivotal connections. The assembly soformed is a first left arm subassembly.

In the next step of assembling the left arm, arm shells 66 a and 66 b ofthe fourth arm segment 66 are brought together for ultrasonic weldingwith attaching pin 71 being received in bore 70 after connecting thefirst left arm subassembly (completed in the prior ultrasonic weldingstep) by connecting pin 68 through bore 64 of third arm segment 58extending from the first left arm subassembly and by inserting disk 84of lower arm joint 82 into receptacle 72. After completion of the secondultrasonic welding step, a second left arm subassembly is provided whichis connected, in a third ultrasonic welding, to fifth left arm segment80 and left hand 102. In this third ultrasonic welding step arm shells80 a and 80 b are mated edgewise and welded essentially as describedabove to capture plate 86 of lower arm joint 82 in receptacle 96 and tocapture ring 104 pivotally mounted on pin 90. After the third ultrasonicwelding step the left arm 14 is complete.

The left leg is assembled in essentially the same manner using threeultrasonic welding steps as described above for assembly of the leftarm. Thus, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in step (1), left first legsegment 124, left leg shells 142 a and 142 b and third left leg member158 are joined in an ultrasonic welding step to provide a first legsubassembly; in step (2), a further ultrasonic welding step, the firstleg subassembly is pivotally connected by way of bore 164 in the portionof third leg member 158, extending from the first leg subassembly to pin168 of leg shell 166 a and to fifth leg segments 181 by inserting disk184 into a receptacle 172 to form a second leg subassembly; and in step(3), toe members 210 and 212 are pivotally mounted on pin 208 and pin204 is pivotally mounted through bore 190 of fifth leg segment 181 andthe foot shells 202 a and 202 b are brought together edgewise withassembly pins 214 and 216 being received in bores 206 and 210,respectively, prior to ultrasonic welding to capture second legsubassembly via bore 190 and to capture toe members 210 and 212 tocomplete left leg 18.

Right arm 16 and right leg 20 are assembled in the same manner as leftarm 14 and left leg 18.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the left arm 14 and right arm 16 are connectedto upper torso 250 by inserting disks 30 into slots 280. The head 22(previously joined to head joint 266) is connected by inserting disk 269into slot 280. And, body 300 of body joint 254 is seated on bottom plate312 with rails 302 received in notches 318 of side plates 316. Thenupper torso shells 250 a and 250 b are aligned edgewise withcomplementary slots located near the respective arm holes and opening atthe top and bottom of the torso for the head joint 266 and body joint254 abutting to capture disks 30 (arms 14 and 16) and 269 (head 22) andrails 302 (body joint 254), followed by ultrasonic welding to provide anupper torso 250 having a left arm 14, a right arm 16, a head 22 and abody joint 254.

With reference to FIG. 5, the leg assemblies and lower torso areattached to the completed upper torso (1) by seating plate 310 beneathupper wall 320 so that shaft 308 extends through semi-circular cut-out322, and (2) by positioning disks 130 in the interior space 330 definedby lower torso walls 332 and 334 with shafts 128 extending throughcut-outs 332 and 334 of lower torso 252. In this orientation, thespherical outer walls 126 and 126 r of first leg segment 124 and 124 rare flush against the concave sidewalls 336 and 338 of lower torso 252.Then lower torso shells 252 a and 252 b are mated edgewise and connectedby ultrasonic welding to capture upper torso 250 and left and right legs18 and 20, thereby completing the assembly of action FIG. 10.

In yet another of its aspects, the present invention entails aninjection molding method for producing a joint in which a first jointmember is pivotally connected to a second joint member. This methodcomprises the steps of:

(i) inserting a first joint member having a first portion with asubstantially circular bore into an injection mold having inner wallsdefining a cavity for forming at least the second joint member, so thatthe first joint member is positioned in the injection mold so that thefirst portion is maintained in spaced relation to the walls of the moldand a second portion of the first joint member is outside of the moldcavity; and

(ii) injecting a thermoplastic composition into the cavity of the moldunder suitable injection molding conditions so that the thermoplasticcomposition fills the cavity and engulfs the first portion of the firstjoint member and fills the bore to form in situ a joint including asecond joint member with a molded-in-place pivot pin pivotallyconnecting the first joint member to the second joint member, whereinthe injecting step is carried out under injection molding conditionsthat do not adversely affect the shape and structural integrity of thefirst joint member.

In another of its aspects, the present invention entails an injectionmolding method or making a ball and socket joint for pivotallyconnecting a first joint member to a second joint member comprising thesteps of:

(i) inserting a joint member having a first portion with a substantiallyspherical ball member into an injection mold having inner walls defininga cavity for forming at least the second joint member, the first jointmember is positioned in the injection mold so that the major portion ofthe ball member is maintained in spaced relation to the walls of themold and a minor portion of the ball member of the first joint member isoutside of the mold cavity; and

(ii) injecting a thermoplastic composition into the cavity of the moldunder suitable injection molding conditions so that the thermoplasticcomposition fills the cavity and engulfs the major portion of the ballmember of the first joint member to form the second joint memberincluding a socket pivotally connecting the first joint member to thesecond joint member, wherein the injecting step is carried out underinjection molding conditions that do not adversely affect the firstjoint member.

The term “suitable injection molding conditions” means temperature, timeand pressure conditions as known in the art which allow a flowablethermoplastic composition to be introduced into the cavity of aninjection mold so as to fill the cavity. As will be appreciated by thoseof ordinary skill in the art, such suitable injection molding conditionsmay be routinely determined depending upon the selected thermoplasticmaterial. Also, by the phrase “injection molding conditions that do notadversely affect the first joint member,” it is meant temperature, timeand pressure conditions less than those which would cause either thefirst joint member having a bore therethrough or the first joint membercomprising a ball member of a ball and socket joint, to melt, distort orfuse to the second joint member so that the first and second jointmembers are unable to pivot properly with respect to each other.

In the methods of the present invention for pivotally connecting a firstjoint member to a second joint member, it is preferred to use a verticalinjection machine because of the relative ease with which an insert partmay be oriented and held in the mold during the molding process.However, other injection molding apparatus, including conventionalhorizontal injection molding machines, may be used with suitablydesigned molds.

In the injection molding process of the invention, a first rigid jointmember is made of a first material which has a higher melting point thanthe second joint member. The first material may be any suitable materialfor an insert part including plastic, metal or the like, so long as thefirst material has a melting point sufficiently above the melting pointof the second thermoplastic material used in the claimed process. It ispresently preferred, however, that both the first joint member and thesecond joint member be made of first and second thermoplastic materials,respectively. Also, it is preferred that the first joint member beinjection molded.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first thermoplastic materialwill have a melting temperature that is at least about 30° C. higherthan the second thermoplastic material. The first thermoplasticcomposition more preferably will have a melting point which is fromabout 50° C. to about 300° C. higher than the second thermoplasticmaterial, and most preferably about 70° C. to about 140° C. higher thanthat of the second thermoplastic material. Suitable first thermoplasticmaterials may have a melting point in the range of 200° C. to 350° C.and suitable second thermoplastic compositions may have a melting pointin the range of 140° C. to 180° C. or more. Presently preferred firstthermoplastic compositions include polycarbonate having a melting pointof about 300° C., nylon having a melting point of about 300° C.,acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) having a melting point of about230° C., polyoxymethylene resin (POM), (e.g., POM known by the brandname Celcon), having a melting point of about 260° C., and the like.Presently preferred second thermoplastic compositions includepolyvinylchloride or Kraton (a brand name of styrene butadiene, asynthetic rubber composition) having a melting point of about 160° C. Inparticularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the first plasticcomposition is ABS and the second plastic composition is PVC.

It has been surprisingly found that where the second plastic compositionis relatively soft compared to the first plastic composition asufficient coefficient of friction between the first and second jointmembers results to permit relative movement while insuring that, oncemoved, the members will remain in their new relative positions. Thisapplies as well to other pairs of joint members (including joint membersformed separately and then assembled) used to form a pivot joint or arotational joint of toy FIG. 10.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, one embodiment of the molding method of thepresent invention is illustrated. FIG. 6 shows an insert piece 25′comprising ring 31 having a bore 35 transversely therethrough and a disk30′ having notches 380 cut in the circumferential edge 30 e of the disk.Ring 31 and disk 30′ are at either end of lever arm 28. Ring 35 has keys382 protruding inwardly towards the center of bore 35. Keys 382 serve toincrease pivotal friction between ring 31 and a pivot pin 33 formedtherethrough in the molding method of the present invention. Notches 380serve to prevent relative rotation between disk 30′ and disk 30 formedover disk 30′ in the molding process.

With reference to FIG. 7, first joint member 25′ (preferably made ofABS) is placed in a vertical injection mold 388 which parts along line389 so that a portion of lever arm 28 and ring 31 extend into a firstcavity 390 of the mold 388 and a portion of lever arm 28 and the notcheddisk portion extend into a second cavity 392 of the mold 388. As shownin this figure, an intermediate portion of the lever arm is held in mold388 so that it is not in communication with either first cavity 390 orsecond cavity 392. As will be understood by those skilled in the art,the second thermoplastic composition used to fill first cavity 390 andsecond cavity 392 is injected under injection molding conditions usingrunner 391, which is in communication with the first cavity and a secondrunner (not shown) which is in communication with the second cavity.

FIG. 8 shows the first arm segment 24 after completion of the injectionmolding process with a portion of ring 31 and disk 30′ shown in phantomlines encased in the second thermoplastic composition used in theinjection step. As best seen in FIG. 7, pivot pin 33 is formed in situthrough bore 35 of ring 31.

It will be appreciated that right arm segment 24 r, left leg segment 124and first right leg segment 124 r are formed in an analogous manner.

An embodiment of the molding process of the present invention forproducing a ball and socket body joint 254 is illustrated in FIGS. 9-11.Body joint 254 comprises a first joint member 450 (shown in FIG. 9) anda second joint member 300 which are capable of pivoting and swivelingrelative to one another. First joint member 450 includes a ball member306 and a plate 310 spaced at either end of a shaft 308. First jointmember 450 is made of a first thermoplastic composition, preferably ABS.As shown in FIG. 10, first joint member 450 is inserted into mold 460 sothat a major portion of ball member 306 (at least greater than half ofits surface area and preferably more than 75% of its surface area) ispositioned within mold cavity 462 and a minor portion of ball member 306(less then half of its surface area) as well as shaft 308 and plate 310are positioned within mold 460 so that they are outside of communicationwith mold cavity 462. In an injection molding step, a secondthermoplastic material is injected into mold cavity 462 to establishsecond joint member 300 which has an interior surface which is formedaround the outer surface of ball 306 to establish the socket of bodyjoint 254. FIG. 11 shows the completed body joint 254 with a majorportion of ball 306 (shown in phantom lines) residing within body 300 ofbody joint 254.

In another of its aspects, the present invention entails a method formaking a body part having pivotable digits, such as a hand 102 of a toyFIG. 10 having pivotable finger members 400, 402, and 404. Referring toFIGS. 12-16, this embodiment of the invention uses injection molding toincorporate into an articulable joint, in situ, an insert piececomprising molded finger members 400, 402, 404. These finger members areeach molded of a first thermoplastic material, preferably ABS, generallyin the shape of naturally-positioned, relaxed fingers. Finger members400, 402, and 404, each of which has a proximal end 400 a, 402 a and 404a, with a respective bore 400 b, 402 b and 404 b, extending transverselytherethrough for receiving a pivot pin 406 on which finger members 400,402 and 404 are pivotally mounted on the pin, as shown in FIG. 14. Thepivotally mounted finger members are centered on pivot pin 136 withclearance at each end of the pin (i.e., between finger member 400 andpin head 408, and between finger member 404 and pin fastener 410). Asbest seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the proximal ends of the finger members,400 a, 402 a and 404 a, have a combined width that is less than thelength of pivot pin 406. In this configuration having the combination offinger members 400, 402 and 404 pivotally attached to pin 406constitutes a first joint member (pivotally mounted on pin 136 to beused) as an insert part for injection molding of left hand 102.Additionally, a second insert part for injection molding of left hand isprovided by wrist joint member 412 (preferably made of ABS) consistingof shaft 414 attached at one end to disk 416 and at the other end to aring 418. Ring 418 has a bore 420 therethrough and notches 422 toprevent relative rotation of the ring with respect to bore liner 424(made of second thermoplastic material) which is molded to the ring inan injection molding step. See also FIG. 16. Bore liner 424 increasespivotal friction achieved when hand 102 is pivotally mounted on pivotpin 90 of fourth arm segment 80 during assembly of left arm 14 to resistunintended movement of joint 14 f. See FIGS. 1 and 2.

As depicted in FIG. 16, left hand 102 is completed in a verticalinjection molding step wherein the exposed ends of pivot pin 406(including head 408 and fastener 410) and wrist joint member 412 arepositioned opposite each other in insert mold 430 having a first cavity432 sized and shaped to form the body 436 of hand 102 including a thumb438. Hand portion 436, the shape of which is defined by the shape of themold, forms around and captures pin 406 (preferably encasing pin head408 and fastener 410) to secure the fingers pivotally to hand 436 andalso forms around shaft 414 and disk 416 of wrist joint member 412.Second cavity 434 defines the surface of bore liner 424 which is formedsimultaneously with hand portion 436 to complete left hand 102 in themolding process. The injection mold 430 maintains the finger members400, 402 and 404 outside of communication with the cavity of theinjection mold so that the material used in forming hand portion 162does not fill the areas between the finger members. The molding does,however, form flush with the exposed sides 400 c and 406 c of fingermembers 400 and 406, thereby capturing the ends of pivot pin 406 alongwith pin head 408 and pin fastener 410.

Applicants' foregoing description of the present invention isillustrative. Other modifications and variations will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in light of applicants'specification, and such modifications and variations are within thescope of their invention defined by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for making a toy figure with a body member havinga width and pivotable digits, the method comprising: forming a digitmember assembly by pivotally mounting a plurality of pivotable digits ona pivot pin, the pivot pin having a length and first and second ends,each pivotable digit having a proximal end and a length, the pivot pinpassing through aligned bores formed at the proximal ends of the digitssuch that the first and second ends of the pivot pin extend from thealigned bores, and the length of the pivot pin being slightly less thanthe width of the toy figure body member; inserting the digit memberassembly into an injection mold having a cavity sized and shaped to formthe body member such that the digits are positioned adjacent to andoutside of the mold cavity, and the first and second ends of the pivotpin are positioned within the mold cavity; and injecting a moldablecomposition into the mold cavity in sufficient quantity to fill thecavity and encompass the first and second ends of the pivot pin.
 2. Amethod according to claim 1 wherein the body member is a hand and thedigits include one or more fingers.
 3. A method according to claim 2wherein the digits are made of a first thermoplastic composition and themoldable plastic composition is a second thermoplastic composition whichhas a melting point which is between about 30° C. and about 200° C. lessthan that of the first thermoplastic composition.
 4. A method accordingto claim 3 wherein the first thermoplastic material is selected from thegroup consisting of nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, andpolyoxymethylene resins, and the second thermoplastic material isselected from the group consisting of PVC and styrene butadiene.
 5. Amethod according to claim 1 wherein the injection mold is connected to avertical injection molding apparatus.